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Conman who intimidated 92-year-old resident jailed

A CONMAN has been sent to prison for two years and been hit with a five-year Anti-Social Behaviour Order after initimidating victims aged 77 and 92-years-old from the town.

Thomas Collins-Joyce, aged 48 and from Liverpool, was originally sentenced to six months in prison – reduced to four on appeal – in October 2012 for an offence against a 75-year-old Wirral woman.

But shortly after his release from prison, Collins-Joyce was back to his old tricks and cold-calling on elderly residents in Preston and Warrington.

Collins-Joyce pleaded guilty to fraud offences at Preston Crown Court last week having previously appeared at Halton Magistrates Court on January 20 this year.

He faced two technical offences brought by Warrington Trading Standards after cold-calling at the home addresses of two residents living in Warrington aged 77 and 92-years-old.

In both cases, Collins-Joyce failed to provide the residents with a notice of their right to cancel a contract within seven days, otherwise known as a 'cooling off' period, that he had a legal duty to provide.

In one of the cases, the 92-year-old resident had to have further work done to repair the work initially carried out by Collins-Joyce on her driveway, patio and drain.

In all cases, pressure and intimidating behaviour were used to overbear the will of the elderly and vulnerable residents.